Pakistan Suffers First Casualties in Waziristan Operation

Six Pakistani Soldiers Were Killed by a Roadside Bomb; Two in Exchange of Fire With Militants

By

Saeed Shah

Updated June 16, 2014 2:13 p.m. ET

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan's military suffered the first military casualties in its much-anticipated operation to clear out the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared that the offensive will go on no matter the cost.

Named "Sword of the Prophet," the operation, launched Sunday, aims to impose government authority over a rugged region that borders Afghanistan and has traditionally been ruled by fierce tribal custom. In the years since 2001, North Waziristan became a refuge for...